Cannulas currently exist making it possible to offer an artificial lung solution. These cannulas enable a circulation of the blood in a closed circuit thanks to a technique for oxygenating a volume of blood low in oxygen taken from a body.
Such cannulas are currently used, for example, with an artificial lung system of ECMO type, designating “Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation”. Such a system makes it possible to offer a solution for oxygenating a volume of blood taken from a patient and circulating through cannulas by means of a membrane.
A first solution consists in using a pair of cannulas which is introduced via the veins of a patient. The circuit thereby formed is named VV because it is formed by veno-venous route. In this case, the circulation of the blood occurs through the veins.
A second solution consists in using a pair of cannulas, one of which is introduced by venous route and the other by arterial route. This circuit is called AV because it is carried out by arterio-venous route. To do so, specific cannulas are adapted to the flow of blood to withdraw and to inject. The terms arterial cannula and venous cannula are commonly employed.
In both cases, the blood extracted from the venous system is oxygenated outside the body. In the VA ECMO, the blood thereby re-oxygenated is returned to recirculation through the arterial system, whereas in the VV ECMO, the operation takes place through the venous system.
A drawback of the first solution is the limitation of the cardiac and pulmonary assistance of a patient in oxygenated blood. The practical advantage of introducing the cannulas by venous routes finds a limitation in the efficiency of transporting oxygenated blood into certain organs.
A drawback of the second solution is the difficulty of putting in place and holding an injection cannula in an artery. Notably, this technique imposes a reduced mobility of the patient because the flow of blood to inject and the movements of the blood fluid can perturb the putting in place of a cannula and make its holding in place unstable.